College students often overlook the fantasy genre when investigating or choosing a work of literature. The entity that is Harry Potter has been a noted exception for several years, but there aren't many other recently published works that command the same effect.

In 2003 a musical called "Wicked" opened on Broadway, attracting the attention of celebrities like Tim Allen. The Broadway musical sensation, as it has become, was actually inspired by the fantasy book "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West", written by Gregory Maguire.

In "Wicked," Maguire brings readers back to that magical and mystical land known as Oz. The same Oz created by the legendary L. Frank Baum, first in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (1900), and subsequently in the 13 other Oz books he wrote during his lifetime, including "The Land of Oz," "Ozma of Oz" and many others. These went on to inspire Oz books written by other authors as well as the motion picture classic "The Wizard of Oz" (1939) starring Judy Garland.

Those familiar with "The Wizard of Oz" will recall the plight of Dorothy and her companions as they attempt a pilgrimage, following the yellow brick road to the bedazzled Emerald City. Such patrons may also remember the dangers the group encounters because of the Wicked Witch of the West and the fear she instilled in viewers.

Maguire seeks to reveal the untold story of the Wicked Witch of the West (WWW), also known as Elphaba, explaining how she became "wicked" as well as answering many questions left in the original story. Questions such as, "Why is the Witch's skin green?" and "What's so special about those ruby slippers?" are left for "Wicked" to answer, while still others may have been generated by it.

One question that may come from reading this book is "How was the name Elphaba invented for the WWW?" It is in fact a name created by Maguire from L. Frank Baum's initials (El-Fa-Ba).

Another, more pertinent question may be, "Why would college students even enjoy reading this book?" After all, "The Wizard of Oz” is something most children would want to listen to or watch. "Wicked," however displays different qualities than children's literature. Maguire's storytelling uses large words and adult scenarios that are not of interest or at the intellectual level of most children; although it has been described as a fast read, it is in no way an easy read, which for most is a good thing.

The story begins with a prologue, a scene that could practically be taken right out of "The Wizard of Oz" itself. The WWW is hiding behind trees, following the foursome as they make their way toward the Emerald City. She hears them speaking, speculating about outrageous things like her being a hermaphrodite, a lesbian, psychologically warped, etc. The Witch sees her sister's shoes glittering on the girl's feet and wants to pounce on her, but the impending storm prevents her. The group rushes on as Elphaba waits for another opportunity.

The story continues with the birth of Elphaba and not surprisingly, green is an unusual skin color in Oz as much as it is in today's world. Her parents are a Unionist minister (Unionist being a god-fearing religion) and former debutant gone rebellious.

Being born with such an abnormal skin color caused Elphaba to receive little attention from her parents. Apart from her green skin, she was also born with incredibly sharp and pointed teeth, making her difficult to feed, as well as an unusual and especially intense aversion to water.

Maguire does not linger on her childhood, but alludes to it throughout the novel. The story quickly fast-forwards to Elphaba's arrival at the story's equivalent of university, known as Shiz. There she meets her roommate, a well-known character named Galinda, or Glinda, as she will later call herself.

The two do not get along at first; Elphaba is solitary, studious and homely in appearance, Galinda is vain, selfish and beautiful. However unlikely the outcome, the two become friends and Elphaba becomes part of a larger circle of comrades.

Having been an outcast for most her life, Elphaba is aware of the social and political unrest in Oz. The Wizard, who took over Oz in a coup, has been passing regulations and restrictions to the detriment of all citizens. She leaves Shiz and all her friends behind to join the resistance.

The challenges she faces and the experiences she has during her years underground are her motivation for her succeeding actions, for which there will be many consequences to follow and questions to be answered. In the end, readers are brought back to that forest, to Dorothy, the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow and the Lion.

To readers, Maguire gives an incredibly unique and different image of the WWW than most could ever imagine. Although Elphaba seems to thwart good and become consumed by wickedness, her bravery and individualism make her a heroine throughout the book.

Slowness in some parts is made up for by the adventure the reader is taken on, all the way from Munchkinland to the Emerald City to Vinkus, as well as many other regions of the mystical Land of Oz.